Armor-shield.



No. 774,303."- PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904-.

B. BEHR.

I ARMOR SHIELD.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 1904. H0 MODEL.

Patented November 8, 1904.

UNTTED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

BURKARD BEHR, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY.

ARMOR-SHIELD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,303, dated November 8, 1904.

Application filed April 16, 1904 To all whom, it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, BURKARD BEHR, a subject of the German Emperor, and a resident of Hamburg, in the German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to Armor-Shields for Field-Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an armor-shield which is more particularly adapted for fieldguns, its purpose being to protect the guns crew and also the gun itself from the enemys fire from firearms, shrapnel, and even small howitzer-shells. This protecting device consists of two caps or hoods rotatably mounted upon the axle of the gun-carriage wheels and surrounding approximately one-half of these wheels. Upon each side they are provided with hinged shields. These wheel-caps and hinged shields consist of steel or armor plates, If the wheel-caps are turned forward, they will cover the front halves of the wheels. The inner shields may then be turned toward or upon each other inwardly into a vertical position, so as to constitute a front protecting-wall covering both the gun and its crew and from which practically only the barrel of the gun projects. In order to permit of the passage of the barrel and of aiming, the inner hinged shields, forming the front protecting-wall, must, of course, be suitably recessed. The outer shields of the caps may also be turned down outwardly and set at a greater or less angle to the wheels in order to constitute lateral protecting-walls for the rear halves of the wheels, the rear part of the gun-barrel, the gun-carriage, and the guns crew. In accordance with the adjustment of the outer or lateral shields a greater or less space may be protected from the enemys fire. In order to bring the protecting device from the fighting position to the marching position, the front and lateral shields are turned back against the wheel caps, suitably attached thereto, and then turned up, together with the wheel-caps, so that the caps and folded-back shields cover approximately the upper halves of the wheels, in which position the caps or hoods are appropriately secured. Suitable gear-wheels or levers may be provided for depressing and raising the wheel- Serial No. 203,495. (No model.)

caps, and these same devices may serve for fixing the caps in the fighting and marching positions, respectively.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows in side elevation a field-piece provided with the novel protecting device. The gun-carriage axle is sectioned inside the left-hand wheel, and this latter and its cap or hood are omitted. The right-hand hood and its two hinged shields are situated in the fighting position. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the protecting appliance as a whole in the fighting position. Fig. 3 shows the gun, with the protecting appliance in side elevation, in marching order.

In the constructional form of the appliance which is here represented the semicircular wheel-caps a, surrounding the gun-carriage wheels, are rotatably mounted on the guncarriage axle b. Upon their inner sides'the caps are providedwith hinged shields c and upon their outer sides with hinged shields (Z. The front shields are provided with a recess 6 to permit of the passage of the gun-barrel, while for aiming the slotfis provided, Fig. 2.

The fighting order or arrangement of the protecting appliance will be readily understood without further explanation from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2.

If it is desired to bring the protecting appliance into the marching position, in the first place the front and side shields c and (Z are turned back against the respective caps, where they are secured by means of hooks, turnbuckles, or the like g. The wheel-caps, together with the shields, are then turned from the vertical position shown in Fig. 1 into the horizontal position, Fig. 3, where they are suitably secured from swinging downward. The raising and lowering of the wheel-caps and also their locking in the desired position may be effected by means of any appropriate devices, which are not shown in the drawings.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Armor protection for field-guns, comprising segmental hoods revoluble on the axle 3. Armor protection for field-guns, comprising segmental hoods revoluble on the axle of the carriage-Wheels and partly inclosing the Wheels, and armor-plates hinged to the hoods and cooperating to form a shield between the Wheels, said plates having edge-recesses to form an opening for the gun.

BURKARD BEHR.

Witnesses:

MAX LEMoKE, E. H. L. MUMMENHOFF. 

